Boy run over by school van, dies

[1]

Accidents involving school children continue unabated in suburban Chennai as rogue drivers flout traffic rules risking the lives of the little ones.

In a tragic accident, a five-year-old boy died on Wednesday after he was run over by his own school van near Manimangalam on Monday.

Police said Aakash (5) son of Mr Vincent, a tailor residing in Aarambakkam, was knocked down by his own school van after he got off near his home.

The driver of the van apparently failed to notice the boy while reversing the vehicle and knocked him down.

Aakash sustained injuries on his leg. Hearing his cries, locals gathered and chased the driver who abandoned the van and fled the spot.

The boy was taken to a private hospital in Padapai where he was administered an injection and prescribed medicines for his wound.

Sources said that Aakash woke around midnight on Tuesday with complications and he was rushed to the hospital immediately where he succumbed to his injuries early on Wednesday morning.
Incidentally, Aakash, who had late speech development, had been admitted in a private school last month.

A case has been registered by the Manimangalam police who are on the lookout for the absconding driver.

The school, where the boy studied, declared a holiday on Wednesday to mourn his demise.
In a similar incident, four children had sustained minor injuries when the school van they were traveling in had rammed into the compound wall of a private engineering college in Sarpanancherry two days back. Villagers had caught the driver and handed him over to the police after he was found to be drunk.